New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots have been battling a number of issues within and outside the NFL ever since the "Deflategate" scandal came to light. With the NFL team's quarterback shoved into center stage and alleged of cheating on football games, the reputation of the Super Bowl champions has been under close scrutiny by the media and the public.

In fact, Tom Brady himself has been observed to be seething over the rumors surrounding his football career - one that has been undoubtedly hard-earned and built with persistence, talent and determination. With these issues in mind, it looks like the New England Patriots are preparing a contingency plan just in case quarterback Tom Brady suffers more setbacks and fails to be with the NFL team this season.

The latest rumor regarding the New England Patriots points to the NFL team's desire to provide Tom Brady as much support as possible. According to sources, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dustin Vaughan is currently training with the Super Bowl champions - a move that could potentially see Tom Brady taking off minutes from the field and resting on the bench this NFL season. The former Dallas Cowboys free agent spent his rookie year with Darren McFadden and Tony Romo. He was an undrafted football star from Division II West Texas A&M in 2014.

Prior to his departure from the Dallas Cowboys locker room, Dustin Vaughan had been in the running to land the highly coveted spot behind Pro Bowl star Tony Romo. The now aspiring New England Patriots quarterback competed against Jameill Showers and Brandon Weeden at the time. The Dallas Cowboys saw the exit of Dustin Vaughan from the NFL team on September 5.

Although Dustin Vaughan exited the Dallas Cowboys and failed to land the position of second quarterback to Tony Romo, the NFL team remain optimistic on his potential. "Sometimes with quarterbacks you literally see the smoke coming out of their ears [because] their mind is working so hard," shared Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett in an interview about the progress of Dustin Vaughan.

He added, "The guys who are best at that position, and really the best players at any position, are the guys that somehow someway can simplify the game, trust what they see and be very decisive as they go through a play and make the decisions they need to make. I think Dustin's getting better and better in those areas."

As Dustin Vaughan enters the field of the New England Patriots, it remains to be seen if his potential will be fully realized in this NFL team. With Tom Brady as his potential mentor, the NFL rookie could expect intense workouts and a notably productive learning experience this year. Apart from the New England Patriots, reports revealed that the former Dallas Cowboys hopeful also worked out with the Tennessee Titans last week.